So why not look up in the standings at a potential wild-card spot, especially facing the most dysfunctional team in the league this year, the Bucs?

“I can’t stress enough how proper preparation can increase the confidence come game time,” Newton said, speaking for himself as well as the team. “When you come to the line and you know that you’ve been coached up to expect a certain look — and then you get that look — you don’t panic.”

Panic City might be another name for Tampa, where rookie Mike Glennon makes his fourth start since incumbent quarterback Josh Freeman was exiled. Halfback Doug Martin hurt his shoulder in Sunday’s loss.

“I just take the next task at hand,” coach Greg Schiano said. “I can tell you, on a short week like this, you don’t get a lot of sleep. You try to get everything done. You try to make it as good a plan, yet not very complicated, because you don’t have a lot of time to practice.

“It really has to be between the ears, get yourself, physically, feeling as well as you can as a football team, and we’ve got to go out and execute against a team that, right now, is pretty hot.”